good morning. the defendant bill cosby accused of a sexual assault more than a decade ago. >> how do you feel, sir? >> a frail looking cosby post bail. the first criminal case against the once beloved star, after a slew of accusations. this morning, cosby's attorney spea out live. from bad to worse. historic flooding intensifies in the midwest. new rescues and evacuations in missouri. highways shut down as the mississippi and other major rivers get set to crest at record heights later today. back in the u.s. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen arrives in los angeles overnight in the custody of u.s. marshals. >> people want to know, what were you thinking? >> this as her son fights his own extradition. why he could remain in mexico for months. and prepping for a party. with an increased eye on security, the world gets set to celebrate the arrival of a new

today, thursday, december 31st, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. it's new year's eve morning. i'm savannah guthrie alongside craig melvin, alongside matt. this is the night we fear the most. we have to stay up until midnight. >> i'm going try. >> i can't believe that 2015 flew by like that. >> later in the show, we'll tell you how to say good-bye to 2015 in style. our top story is a breaking one. the criminal case against bill cosby after the legendary actor and comedian was arraigned on a sex assault charge. his attorney calls the charge unjustifies. we'll talk to her and the attorney who represents a dozen cosby accusers. first, let's get the latest from

>> good morning, savannah. the prosecutor was racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he said it was cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition that triggered the re-opening of this case and led to a stunning announcement. >> reporter: 78-year-old bill cosby cosby, carrying a cane and stumbling his way into a small pennsylvania courthouse, to face felony charges of aggravated assault. clearing a bail to return to his nearby home where the came began in 2004. prosecutors say that's where former temple university andrea constand agreed to take pills and drink wine, and became paralyzed as cosby performed sexual acts against her wishes. while no charges were filed at the time, constand filed a civil suit in 2005, settled a year later. it was excerpts from a

triggered the new criminal case. constand's attorney asking cosby about his purchase of quaaludes in the '70s, a now banned drug. was it in your mind that you were going to use these drugs with young women you wanted to have sex with? cosby answered, yes. >> opening thereopening the case was not a question. >> a former d.a. who refused to prosecutor bill cosby. >> we examined all the evidence that we had available to us. made this determination because it was the right thing to do. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, cosby's attorney suggested the charges were motivated by local politics, and came as no surprise. we intend to mount a vigorous defense against this unjustified charge, and we expect mr. cosby will be exonerated by a court of law. one of the 12 woman who came forward in the 2005 civil suit

will admit any wrongdoing at trial. >> i have not ever known him to be a person who tells the truth. so, no, i don't have a particular desire to hear him testify. >> cosby's legal team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in fact, filing nine defamation lawsuits in recent weeks against accusers. cosby is expected back in court on january 14th. if he's found guilty, he could face up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie gosk, thank you. mo monique pressley represents mr. cosby. thank you for being here. >> good morning. >> what is his state of mind? how is he viewing the charges? >> i can't testify really about his state of mind personally. he's been accused unjustly of a crime so, certainly, that's upsetting, but he's in good spirits and he knows he has a

defending him until he is exonerated. >> as we mentioned, this is a charge, a set of charges, that could carry up to ten years in prison. does he fear jail? >> well, it's a charge, and any person who is charged with a crime, the threat of little bit bitter -- liberty interests being lost is there. we're going to get to the facts of this old case that was once decided, such that the former d.a. said there was no need to go further and it belonged in the civil courts. now, through a game of political football, at which my client's life is the center, we're back again. >> given your dealings so far with this prosecution, do you think there will be discussions about a plea agreement? would you be open to that, or will this case go to trial? >> i have no idea what the prosecutor's office is going to do and what the inner workings are of their system but --

>> my client is not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of arrangement. >> you said in your statement yesterday that you are expecting he will be exonerated. what is the source of that confidence? do you think that this is a weak set of allegations? >> well, it's that, but it's also the fact that a court of law doesn't run like the media does, for example. in that, any person who has a picture or a story or something that they'd like to say, if they're saying it about the right person, and bill cosby is the right person to say something about, then they can air that grievance and have been doing so for the past year. in a court of law, there's a system of laws and rules that judges follow. and i have confidence in that system of justice. as i've said in any number of interviews on this network and elsewhere, i believe when you separate what happens in the court of law from what has been

fictional court of public opinion, you will get an outcome to justice requires. >> one possibility is if a judge were to allow it in a pretrial hearing, that other accusers could come forward. it's not certain they would be permitted to testify, but is that a key consideration in your mind, that you could see a set of other accusers be allowed to testify, to try to establish some kind of pattern? >> we expect the d.a., who is highly motivated, fulfilling a campaign promise, not necessarily interested in e getting justice, but in the ad you played, it was the promise itself. where he said, bruce castor doesn't care about the victims, isn't tough on crime. these are the things that campaigns are made of. now, backed into a corner, it seems like the almost new d.a. has had to fulfill that promise. i'm sure that they will do whatever it is they can to try to convince the judge to

that doesn't belong in a court. again, we will defend against it, and i have confidence in the judicial system. >> pardon -- >> and judges will make the right decision. >> part of the reason this case was brought was because of a look at the deposition taken in connection with the civil litigation in this case. is this a situation where mr. cosby's own words have come back and come back to bite him? >> no. i think this is a situation where the district attorney's office has come back to bite it, and that's what we will see happen. it was that d.a.'s office that chose to end the investigation, publicly saying there was not sufficient evidence to go forward. it was that d.a.'s office who had my client participate in a civil process. now, it's the same d.a.'s office who is trying to use the communicating and

never happened and, frankly, was illegally released through a court reporter -- they're trying to use that and say it was a basis for these charges. also, if you look at the deposition itself, which now is out there, wasn't supposed to be, but is, then you'll see there is no admission of criminal wrongdoing with respect to mr. cosby. there is detailed testimony about this incident and others. >> a lot of people will say, if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously, there's a difference between a civil case and a criminal case, but a person just watching at home thinks, if you think someone is lying, why do you pay them money? why do you settle? >> i don't really think that that's what people at home think. i think the people at home are much more savvy than that, and they have to deal with situations in their own lives where they have people who are threatening them. who are threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career, decades of whatever it is

capacities. they know there are times it's wise to settle claims rather than fight them, especially if it's something where you believe everything you're working for will be lost. this may have been one of those times. i'm bound right now, oddly enough, i can't even believe it myself, my client is still bound by a confidentiality agreement in this case. even though the direct attorney's office pressed charges. even the person who brought the civil suit is apparently voluntarily cooperating. we have to toe the line until a court tells us we're free to speak. i'm sure in the court documents for this case, once we are allowed to say what needs to be said, everything will be made clear. >> monique pressley, good to have you. it's a long road just beginning. hope to speak to you again. >> thank you for having me. >> also speaking out is gloria allred, representing 29 people who claim they suffered at the

>> good morning, craig. >> what has been the reaction by your clients to the news of the suit filed yesterday? >> very happy. andrea constand, the alleged victim, is going to have her day in court. that the justice system is going to permit her to be able to testify and have a jury decide on the allegations that she has made. that's so important. for most of the many, many alleged victims that i represent, if not all, they are barred by the statute of limitations, by the arbitrary time limit set by law, from having their cases prosecuted, even if there were a district attorney who believed that case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. but andrea is within that statute of limitations in pennsylvania and, therefore, a prosecution is going to go forward. very, very happy about that. >> i want to pick up on

said. a lot of what ms. constand alleges, the details are early lyeerily similar to what dozens of other women said happened to them. how real of a possibility is it that these other women could be called to testify? >> montgomery county indicated in the press release if there are other alleged victims, they should contact detectives. law enforcement is well aware of the many clients that i have represented and i do represent and what they allege, that mr. cosby did to them. it's all on my website. gloria allred.com. we've done news conferences. they're aware of it. if, in fact, the prosecutor feels that some of the descriptions by my clients are of same or similar acts, as

mr. cosby, many of my clients have already indicated that they will be prepared to testify in the criminal case if their testimony would be considered rel vabtevant and admissible. >> are there women that have contacted you who have not come forward yet, who have made similar accusations against bill cosby? >> the answer is yes, yes and yes. even before the charges yesterday, some of whom said they would be prepared to testify, but didn't want to go public before that time. since yesterday, i've had even more contacts from even more women. >> gloria allred, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. another story we're following, this historic flooding wreaking havoc in several states. the waters rising across missouri, illinois and other parts of the south, as officials

breech ing breaching. miguel almaguer has more. >> the river has risen to 30 feet above flood stage. there is good news. it appears this river crested a few hours ago. the bad news, there are several levies that are in jeopardy here, and the threat is far from over. >> reporter: this morning, the mississippi, the missouri and the marimack rivers are raging. homes have washed away. neighborhoods have been torn apart. at least 21 in the area are dead. a death toll many fear will rise with the water. >> i've never seen that before, and it's a historic flood. parts of i-44 shut down. the coast guard and the national guard have been dpeeployed. all hands on deck ready for rescue. outside st. louis, flood records have been shattered. in eureka, they've never been hit this hard. >> four feet high here, because i'm six feet tall.

homes now islands, thousands more are in danger. nearly two dozen levyies are at risk. power plants, water facileityies are down. rising river cresting around valley park, where nearly 900 have been forced to pack up and get out. >> it's devastating to think about everything. our own home going under with everything in it. >> reporter: with the missouri river in st. louis expecting to crest today, the flood stage sits at 30 feet. the water here expected to reach 13 feet above that. they're packing tens of thousands of sandbags to fortify cities big and small. the next 24 hours, critical, as the water rises. any sense of comfort vanishes. >> i pray everything goes good and we're safe. >> overnight, another major freeway, i-55, has also been shut down. it's never happened in this area

the u.s. army core of engineers is worried. the question now, will the riverbanks hold back all the water? savannah and craig, back to you. >> thank you. believe it or not, we are hours away from the start of a new year, and people are getting ready to celebrate at home and around the world. police are tightening security in the wake of recent terror attacks and foiled plots. nbc's ron mott is a few blocks away in times square. good morning to you, sir. >> hey, craig, good morning to you. the big day, finally here. officials in new york city say they are ready to stop any threats that might emerge tonight. around the world, as you mentioned, even more severe security precautions go into place. one city is going so far as to cancel its new year's eve celebration. >> happy new year! >> reporter: this morning, americans are getting ready to ring in the new year. law enforcement is preparing, too.

suspicious activity in cities throughout the country. in new york, police are deploying up to 6,000 officers in times square. nearly 1 million people will gather to watch the ball drop at midnight tonight. >> we strategically deploy our offices to areas where there will be large crowds. >> reporter: earlier this month, the nypd conducted a demonstration of its new strategic response group, a unit designed for critical incidents and major events like new year's eve. in los angeles, officials are dpeer gearing up for tomorrow's rose parade. in chicago, security preparations are underway for their new year's eve preparations. officials say there is no credible terror threat. major events are scheduled to go on as planned. overseas, authorities are taking more extreme precautions. in paris, there will be no fireworks show.

november's terror attack, is mobilizing 11,000 police and military officers, 2,000 more than last year. and belgium officials cancelled festivityies over fear of a terror threat. >> three, two, one, happy new year! >> reporter: at home, spirits remain high. law enforcement, training for weeks, hoping to ensure that americans have a safe and happy start to 2016. >> considering the high level of security that will be in place tonight, one nypd official said, new york city and times square in particular, might be the safest place in the world today. back to you. >> ron mott in times square. thanks. new developments in the san bernardino terror attack. a federal grand jury on wednesday indicted a friend of one of the shooters. enrique marquez is accused of conspireing with farook to commit terror attacks in 2011 and 2012.

statements when buying the guns used in the shootings. 14 people were killed when farook and his wife opened fire at the conference center december 2nd. the rain has stopped in missouri, but awful situation. >> the rain has been stopped for a couple days, but it takes a while for all of the water to work its way from the tributaries and the smaller rivers to fill into the mississippi. we've had a lot of the flooding near st. louis. over the course of the next couple days, we are going to see this threat go farther to the south, once the water reaching areas like arkansas, where we'll see flooding through the weekend. there are 46 locations still seeing major flooding right now. we'll see that threat through arkansas all weekend long. we do also have rain across the southeast. we've had pockets of heavier rain that's produced flooding across the southeast. with this moisture streaming in from the gulf of mexico, northern florida could see flooding with the heavier downpours today and into tomorrow. that's a look at the weather

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>> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. coming up, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, brought back to the u.s. overnight as her son fights extradition from mexico. the decision that could drag out this case for weeks or months. also ahead, a year in the life of the president through the lens of his official photographer.

nbc. coming up, which ones were your favorites?

commer to the couple wondering what a good deal looks like... no. seriously? we'll give it a 6 for composition. scary. wow, what about just putting a fair, no haggle price on the window? not zany enough? sometimes the best deals are pretty plain to see. feel a cold coming on?

nasal swabs shorten colds with a snap, and reduce symptom severity by 45%. shorten your cold with a snap, with zicam. why let someone else have all the fun? the sometimes haphazard, never boring fun. the why can't it smell like this all the time fun. the learning the virtue of sharing fun. why let someone else have all the fun? that's no fun.

give it a pop.you won't see as many officers tonight in one of des moines' busiest places. police say they've run out of funding for extra enforcement along court avenue. the funds come from "operation downtown," a group dedicated to keeping the city safe. the warm weather sticking around longer this year caused it to exhaust its resources. just last month, a shooting killed one and injured another in the area. but many say they expect a safe new year's eve. pasadena is a hot spot for hawkeye fans... just take a look... the "hawkeye huddle" was the place to be yesterday afternoon. up to 15 thousand iowa fans packed the "los angeles convention center." and the players are taking notice... they say it means a lot to have so

cordes: most nurses are tough. they're problem-solvers. they like making things better. people don't have access to healthcare because they just can't afford it.

and major medical companies are ripping us off. bernie tells the truth, and he's been consistent. he understands that the system is rigged, and he's the only one who can bring real change.

7:30 now, 7:30 now, thursday morning, the last day of 2015. good-bye, 2015. >> can't believe it. >> there's times square getting ready, all dolled up. about a million people will come in to ring in the new year later tonight. meanwhile back inside studio 1a let's take a quick look at the news that's happening right now. bill cosby's free on a $1 million bond following his arrest on a sex assault charge in pennsylvania. it involves a former temple university employee who cosby invited to his home in 2004. in our last half hour, cosby's attorney told savannah that she is confident her client will be exonerated. millions across the midwest and south still dealing with historic flooding today. the mississippi is expected to crest in st. louis. later today, it'll be 13 feet above flood stage. heavy turbulence is blamed for injuries to 21 passengers on

shanghai. it made an emergency landing. the mother of so-called affluenza teen ethan couch is back in the u.s. she was flown from mexico to the u.s. overnight where she was handed over to u.s. marshals. her son, though, he has won a temporary delay in his extradition. let's get to gabe gutierrez for the latest. gabe, good morning. >> good morning. there were a lot of fast moving developments overnight. ethan couch's mother is expected back here in texas to face a judge at some point. the question is when. her son is still in mexico. for how long? this morning tonya couch, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen is back in the u.s. deported from mexico, she arrived in los angeles overnight. >> people want to know, what were you thinking? >> reporter: prosecutors in texas planning to charge her with hindering an arrest for allegedly helping her son run from authorities. a felony that could put her behind bars for up to ten years

meanwhile ethan couch was rushed from this immigration from guadalajara to mexico city. earlier his fully retained eded attorney has filed paperwork to block his deportation. now a judge has to decide. >> it's on their time schedule. we've seen these happen as quickly as two weeks to two months. it depends on the court system down there. >> reporter: jason mills is an export in deportation law. >> does this indicate that ethan couch wants to stay in mexico for the long haul? >> i think it does. or at least ethan wants to stay anywhere besides the united states. >> reporter: this gritty apartment in puerto vallarta is where the couches were arrested monday following a two-week international manhunt. mexican authorities say the pair did not register when they crossed into the country in this pickup truck. a cell phone call they made to domino's pizza helped investigators pinpoint their location. couch had been on the run since failing to check in with his probation officer. the 18-year-old killed four

the defense argued he grew up too affluent and didn't know right from wrong. the pair threw a going away party before they went missing. >> it's just another perfect example of the arrogance the entire family had. >> in his first public comment since his disappearance couch's father released a statement through the attorney saying he's fully cooperating with the investigation. investigators don't believe he helped them run from the law. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather for dylan in for al. again, another unseasonably warm day, but it's coming to an end. >> it is. it's not going to get that cold. it's going to be regular. >> for january. >> exactly. it's been so much above average up and down the east coast, we've been getting used to the warmer temperatures, so it is going to feel like a shock to

colder air. as we go through the air, the last day of the year, new york city will still be above average. 48 degrees. roanoke, 54. charleston, 16 degrees above average, high of 75 degrees. through the weekend, we'll get back into the 30s up in cleveland. raleigh will sink to the lower 50s by the time we get to saturday. new york will be in the low to mid-40s, which is more typical for this time of year if not just a touch above average. atlanta will sink down into the mid-50s too. even florida, we're looking at 50s. as yes plan for the day today, there's not a lot going on. we'll see lake-effect snow around the great lakes. for tonight for the new year's eve celebration, we're looking at mostly clear skies except down in southern florida and georgia. on new year's day, showers along the gulf coast, but most of the

a litt >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. what's the deal with that? president obama was trading some one-liners with jerry seinfeld. >> all right. then they made us laugh, they made us cry. the top commercials of 2015. we'll show them to you. first, these messages.ranked highest in initial quality by j.d. power. hmm. can i look around at them? sure. highest ranking in initial quality. it's gotta be this one. this is it. you are wrong. really? actually it's all three. you tricked me. j.d. power ranked the chevy malibu, silverado half-ton and equinox highest in initial quality in their segments.

i'm very surprised! i am. i'm very surprised. chevy hit three home runs. [ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? this one's a keeper. rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena . after trying brookside crunchy clusters, @carlybeyar tweeted: at this point, i should just be a brookside chocolate ambassador.

it's something you earn. brookside. talk about delicious. i recommend nature made vitamins. because i trust their quality. they were the first to have a vitamin verified by usp. an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the number one pharmacist recommended letter vitamin brand. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome.

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jane didn't like restrictions. not in life. and not when it came to watching her calories. why settle on taste? jane thought. that's why jane loves light & fit greek nonfat yogurt. bursting with rich creamy awesomeness and 12 grams of protein. all for 80 calories. no settling here. what else does jane love? that you could win a fitbit flex from light & fit. learn more on specially marked packs. light & fit. feel free to enjoy.

best commercials of 2015. >> the digital age made it harder on advertisers to get our attention, but the right spot we are back at 7:40 with the best commercials of 2015. >> the digital age made it harder on advertisers to get our attention, but the right spot can keep you from reaching for the remote or looking for the skip button online. barbara is an editor at media post.com. barbara, good morning zbhood morning. >> i have to say the first ad figures it out. we all hate the online ad. >> we want to swat it away. >> look what geico did. i think they got it right. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad because it's already over. geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> then the dog, it's this corny old ad. you can't believe it. the geico label is there the whole time. then the dog rampages over the table and eats everything. it could go on for three minutes. you're spellbound. instead of begging you to watch

it. the actors are sitting frozen trying not to laugh. they move their eyes a tiny bit. the people are frozen. >> this next one from amazon tugs at the heartstrings. >> it has a twist. >> take a look at this one here. little man when you stand by my side then i know i don't have to hide from anyone >> then you've got this miniature, miniature horse that's going to come through the doggy door right about now. >> just poking through the door. so the point is that you can order anything overnight your honor mobile phone, but it's -- you know, they use the sonny & cher "little man" music and it's like this little horse movement, little house movement, little horse.

scenario set up and you really feel for the guy. humor comes through the door. >> humor works in ads. as it does in the next one. i remember this from the super bowl. >> marcia, what happened? >> peter hit me in the nose. >> i'm sure it was an accident. >> eye for an eye. it's what dad always said. >> i never said that, honey. >> shut up! >> marcia, eat a snickers. >> this has been a formula for snickers five years. no one expected these two. then steve buscemi for the win. you get steve buscemi for the win. they're acting like marcia and jan. they also redid the mouths of the mother and father to say those things. >> marcia, marcia, marcia. this next one played at the emmys for apple music. it was a modern-day take on the

>> you have a boyfriend that makes you a mix tap on your laptop. >> watch what's next. this is incredible. >> come on! >> one of the things i liked about this ad is you got to think that this is something that could actually happen with these three women. >> yes. they had such chemistry. that's a party you want to be at. 90% cooler than most ads just because of the star power, but it's relatable. when women get together to watch the emmys, it stole the show at the emmys because it was so interesting. it was another story. people wanted to go there. >> if they ever get together, i'd like to be invited. >> there are two more parts of the commercial. they try to cook dinner, try to eat it. >> doesn't go as well. >> barbara, thank you. >> barbara, thank you so much. coming up, a big change coming to the menu at chick-fil-a and why customers are not happy about it. from the serious to the silly. a unique look at what life at

first, these messages. big news! the new sprint lte plus network is faster than verizon and at&t... based on data from the world's foremost authority on independent measurement. to celebrate, we're gonna cut some prices in half. switch to sprint and save 50% on verizon, at&t or t-mobile rates. no gimmicks. no tricks. it's the biggest offer in u.s. wireless history! what about verizon? 50% off. at&t too? 50% off. even t-mobile? 50% off. plus, we'll even pay your switching fees, up to $650 per line. so switch today. [elf] here's one of our best elves, hard at work... [kid] what's back there? [elf] nothing... [santa] touchdown. come on... [elf] santa, the davidson's are here to see our workshop... [santa] oh... well...hello! uh, this is my sleigh! it's how i deliver all the presents by myself! [team member] santa, you got anything else going to albany? [santa] by myself!

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geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. we're back. 7:48. sheinelle is in the orange room for carson. you have the president's year in photos sbl s photos. >> white house photographer turns out two million words a day, if a picture is worth a thousand words. here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: they are unique behind the scenes, close-up images of a president. many never have seen publicly until now. serious matters inside the white house. a first daughter drops by the oefl office oval office to see her dad. the president with a mom's twin sons. the first lady wiping a tear. nbc news lot an exclusive first look.

and 2,000 a day. probably about 250,000 a year, somewhere in that -- >> over seven years? >> over seven years. >> we're talking -- >> a lot of pictures. >> reporter: part of his mission, to document history. president obama and the first family greeting pope francis. a handshake with cuba's castro. a big smile after the iran nuclear deal. mr. president there for vice president biden at his son's funeral. >> he is the president of the united states, but he's also a human being. i try to show his personality as best i can. there's obviously a lot of pictures with little kids in my year end gallery. he loves babies. >> reporter: that's deputy national security adviser ben rhodes daughter ella before the party. >> have you ever seen a president lying on the floor with a baby in an elephant suit? >> definitely not. >> reporter: the obama

policy door for staff children. >> a lot of them are children of working moms, and he knows what a sacrifice they make, in terms of being at work a lot. >> reporter: this gallery has 111 pictures. what's his favorite? >> it'll hopefully be the one i make later today or tomorrow. that's what keeps you going. you're trying to get a good picture tomorrow. >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, with the president in honolulu. >> 2,000 pictures a day. pete is active on instagram, giving a behind the scenes look of the white house all year. one of the most favorited the president with a baby in a mini pope mobile. the number one picture of the year, the president with ella in the white house. year in photos at today.com.

>> what a fantastic job. >> it's amazing. he's so be professional. he comes in, takes the picture and is out. can you imagine the stories he has to tell, not that he'd tell them. he's seen it all. >> thank you, sheinelle. everything you need to know about tonight's celebration. mr. manners will help us dodge those embarrassing situations. >> i thought you were talking about these two. carson and and i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both...

don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside.

just like they forgot conductor randy, who sees all and forgets nothing. at least he's not constable bob. i don't have like a pair of jeans i'm trying to get into; i've been down that road honey child. and i don't have like a dress or some big red carpet thing i have to do. im really just looking at 2016, as the year of my best body; that's what i want for you too. lets let 2016 be the year of our best bodies.

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troopers will be out in full force along iowa's roads for the holiday. they'll be watching for those not wearing seat belts, distracted drivers, and drunk drivers. in fact, troopers say one hundred

crashes involving drunk drivers. they're reminding people to either take a cab or have a designated driver if they plan to drink. des moines drivers will start to see more parking tickets this winter... that's because public works issuing tickets. before, only the police department's parking attendants could write you up. officials recommend drivers pay close attention to the city's even odd zones. while snow parking bans are in effect, they must park on the side of the street with even number calender days.

nobody it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, your one-stop shot to bring in 2016. a preview of the crowd in times square. we'll kick off a preview with hosts carson and andy cohen. today, thursday, december 31st, 2015. >> happy new year! >> we're here to see the ball drop. >> happy new year from the "today" show. we're having twins! >> from mississippi, happy new year. >> may your new year's sparkle and shine. bring it on, 2016. >> happy new year. welcome back to "today."

it is december 31st, 2015. in sydney, australia, it is 2016 already. that's a live picture. they know how to ring in the new year. >> happy new year to the plaza, as well. large crowd. >> we are not far behind sydney. we'll celebrate the new year in a few hours from now. thanks for having you with us. we have craig in for matt. dylan in for al. sheinelle in for carson. why am i working today? >> you got the short straw. today, the attorney for bill cosby says her client has been unjustly accused in a game of political football. cosby is free on $1 million bail after being charged with aggravated indecent assault. stephanie gosk has more. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. i'm outside of bill cosby's home, the scene of the alleged crime from over a decade ago.

racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he says, in part, this case was reopened because of cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition. that led to the stunning announcement. now, cosby's legal team suggests that it was motivated, the decision in part, by local politic politics, and the d.a. used this case as political football in a recent election. cosby's defense attorney spoke with savannah this morning. she was asked if her client would consider a plea deal. this is what she had to say. >> my client is not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of arrangement. >> cosby's defense team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in recent weeks, they've filed nine defamation lawsuits against the accusers. cosby is expected back in the

if he's found guilty on these charges, natalie, he faces up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie, thanks. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, ethan couch, is back in the u.s. after she was deported from mexico. tonya couch arrived in los angeles early this morning on her way back to texas, where prosecutors plan to charge her with hingering an arrest. her son is still in mexico after a judge blocked his deportation. he's been held in mexico city. today, the mississippi river is expected to crest in st. louis, 13 feet above flood stage. in valley park, missouri, some neighborhoods are surrounded by water. hundreds of homes are flooded. thousands more are threatened. the flooding is blamed for more than 20 deaths. in the presidential race, jeb bush is shaking up his campaign with a few weeks to go before the first votes are cast. hallie jackson is in hilton head, south carolina. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. jeb bush says his new year's

to have a shot at that, his campaign says they're changing up their strategy. in a sudden move, pulling money off the airwaves in iowa and south carolina. >> reporter: jeb bush, now insisting his latest move is not a desperate one. >> because it's not. having the best organization on the ground is how you win. >> reporter: it's why bush says he's shifting staffers out of his miami headquarters to key early states, like new hampshire, where he's betting it all, and cancelling $3 million worth of tv ads. the latest shakeup in a campaign struggling to find its footing, slowly sliding since the summer when bush led the gop race. even presidential star power support from his father and brother hasn't lifted him out of single digits in recent national polls. >> i'm tough, and i'm tough. >> reporter: call it the donald trump effect.

bush is calling trump a creature of barack obama. >> but for barack obama, donald trump's effect would not be nearly as strong as it is. we're living in a divided country right now, and we need political leaders rather than continuing to divide us, as both president obama and donald trump do, to unite us. >> reporter: trump, sounding frustrated with bush's attack. >> i shouldn't even talk about him. he's down to two or three. it bothers me, when i see a guy spending $60 million on ads against me, a lot of it. >> reporter: suggesting a new move for his republican rival in the new year. >> why is he doing this? doesn't he have something better? he should go home, relax. >> as we look ahead to the start of 2016, on this new year's eve, a deadline for candidates, how much money they've raised over the last three months. overnight, ben carson's campaign pulled in about $23 million, more than last quarter. and a bit more than ted cruz,

a cruz campaign aid telling me, they're releasing the figure to show what they call cruz's strength heading into the iowa caucus a month away. >> a lot of money all around. thank you. if you thought baseball fans in the u.s. went all out to catch home runs and fly balls, take a look at this. this happened at a cricket match in australia. a ball was hit into the stands, and one fan throws caution to the wind as he lungs and catches it upside down. the women he landed on though, probably not as excited about it. as our friend len would say, nobody got hurt. right, guys? >> i hope one of the women wasn't his girlfriend or wife. >> those balls hurt, too. >> yeah. >> they're like lead. >> didn't know that about cricket balls. >> thank you. >> the more you know. it's new year's eve, and we, of course, know all about that. sometimes you have a party and

personalities. >> awkwardness. we called in mr. manners himself. he's here to help us politely mix and mingle as we ring in the new year. always good to see you. >> good morning, everyone. >> this is one of my favorite games. >> i know. we'll role play. you'll talk about the different personalities you might encounter and how to deal with them. you're starting with her friend -- >> slubby sam. >> here's the thing, on new year's eve, we have the opportunity to be our best selves. perhaps, some of us, if we're lucky, are going to multiple parties. you have a chance to make a good impression at each one. if your party wardrobe is a polo and khakis, maybe throw on a jacket, tie. >> sequence. >> that's right, exactly. >> step it up. >> even if i'm dressed to the nines and i show up, i certainly don't want to be wallflower walter. who is that?

speak with anybody, a little shy, hangs around the host, the only person you'll know. there's a chance you'll be at a lot of parties you don't know people. >> what are good conversation starters? >> what are your new year's resolutions? what was your favorite moment of 2015? favorite movie of 2015. >> easy starters. >> you make it easy. i'm always like, what's going on? >> hey. >> what's up? >> how was your last physical? okay. i am unannounced ursula. not only do i come to the party, i may bring my friends. >> we don't want to do that. there are a few hours left before the new year's parties begin. get in your rsvps now. it's a little late but better than minutes before the party. if you're the host, the more the merrier. don't show the angry face when somebody shows up with unannounced guests. but don't be that person. >> that brings them. >> i'm kissed on the lips kendra.

what do i do? >> it was not typecasting, natalie. >> thank god. >> at midnight, you want to keep it playful but not passionate, unless this is someone you're involved with or there's been obvious chemistry throughout the night. >> the midnight kiss, the girl that comes along and is like, let's mooch. >> kissing everyone. >> exactly. you'll get a reputation going into 2016 you probably don't want. >> it would seem like kiss on the lips kendra and guzzling gabby are the same person. >> i thought we weren't typecasting. >> how do you stop me? >> you're going to keep the campaign glass in the left hand, keeping the right hand free for handshakes. grab it by the shemtem, not the bowl.

it'll warm it up quicker. you also get the clink. >> i heard you weren't supposed to clink, you were supposed to approach. like approach, not clink. how do you feel about that? >> drinking champagne, wine, is all about engaging every sense, which is why you smell the wine when you drink it. the clinking is part of engaging the senses. >> we always learn something when you're here, thomas. >> let's clink. >> you need champagne. >> make eye contact when you clink. >> exactly. >> happy new year. >> happy new year. when we come back, how to get out of any awkward situation. worlds colliding. jerry seinfeld goes one on one with the president. two guys ready to help you count down to the new year. carson and andy cohen, filling us in on what they have for nbc look, i know you're a cow and all. and you may not know what i'm talking about,

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how else do you think he gets around so fast? take the reins this holiday and get the mercedes-benz you've always wanted during the winter event. hurry, offers end january 4th! we're back. 8:14. time for what's trepiding today ingtrending today. the last trending of 2015. >> we'll trend next year. >> we will. >> we're not stopping. >> have you heard this disturbing story? chick-fil-a discontinuing the coleslaw. >> i love their coleslaw. >> you're not the only one. they were swapping it out for something more healy. salad and things like this. a lot of people are upset. chick-fil-a has given the makeup gift for the change. i'll show it to you. what you are about to see is chick-fil-a's 70-year-old secret coleslaw recipe. >> wow!

>> they said because this recipe holds a special place in our hearts and history, we're excited to give it to you to enjoy at home. the coleslaw is going to be off the menu as of january 11th. >> they're going to replace it >> yeah. >> broccoli, salad. >> i don't understand it. if people love it, leave it on. if people don't order it, it's their business. >> don't remove it completely. >> let the people decide. >> it's paying for itself. >> now, you can get the recipe. >> the coleslaw may come back. >> it may. 2016? >> like the mcrib. phase it out and it comes back. >> never completely goes away. >> it's on demand. >> a lot of folks upset with old navy over shirts they designed for toddlers. check these out. old navy selling these shirts artist. as you can see, the word artist is crossed out and replaced with

president. people, naturally, took their outrage to twitter. have you seen this? old navy clearly ignorant to the world. you lost me, old navy. another made a comment about who likely designed the shirt. old navy doesn't employ artists. oh, wait, they do. old navy said, we take our responsibility to customers seriously. we would never intentionally offend anyone, and we are sorry if that has been the case. this particular tee, we've decided to discontinue the design and we'll work to remove the item from our stores. >> i can see why people were irritated. >> they maybe thought it was funny but they were ditching artists. >> president obama could wear it. he did not become an artist. >> way to find the silver lining, dylan. rebecca of sunny brook farms over here.

pretty much every day on this show. we're told when a situation violates the social norms, of course, we don't know how to react, so it's basically awkward because we make it awkward. so we have tips. we're here for you. >> this is good. >> how to recognize and manage a case of awkwardness. one, reckognize that has happening is normal and everybody experiences it. two, call it out. acknowledge the weirdness. maybe do a joke, lighten the mode. don't run away, is take three. that would be even more awkward. like, bye. most importantly, be kind. you can always bring up something else. mutual topic. >> situations are awkward, and sometimes running away is justified. in an elevator, there was a woman not pregnant, and i -- >> oh, no! >> rule number one. >> you know what? it was a long time ago. >> never ask if someone is pregnant. >> i got off on a floor not mine.

floor, you do not ask. >> nobody is pregnant here. >> i know. >> craig may be a little pregnant. now to jerry seinfeld and the president, and taylor swift's tease. >> i love this. jerry seinfeld's web series kicked off last night and featured a special guest, president barack obama. take a look. >> don't you think every american child is a president, and a grow up loving the president? >> i do well with the 0 to 8 demographic. >> really? >> they love me. partly, they think my ears are big, and i look a little like a cartoon character. >> right. can you adjust the temperature in here? have you touch add thermostat? >> no, i make a call. >> if i slid open your underwear drawer, one brand or a number of brands? >> you have to go with one brand.

this is a critical concept. >> more work you don't need. you have to go off at some point with food. what's your thing? >> nachos. it's one of those where i have to have it taken away. i'll have the guacamole coming out of my eyeballs. >> what sport is politics? is it chess? is it liar's poker? >> probably most like football. you have to punt a lot. but every once in a while, you'll see a hole, and then there's open field. >> i love it. i can't wait to see the whole thing. jerry seinfeld tweeted about the episode. me, the most powerful man in the world. results 19 minutes of nonsense. said as only jerry can. the sequel to "finding nemo" is set to come out in june. the first look at two new characters.

bailey the whale. voiced by ty burrel. finally, 2015 has been a good year for taylor swift. the singer released her fifth album, 1989, and went on a world tour. taylor isn't done yet. she tweeted a screen grab, teasing her new video for "out of the woods." the singer appears to be covered in dirt as she looks into the camera with a fierce gaze. the video will premiere tonight. >> looks like somemeing out of the hung er"hunger games"." >> her videos are involved. >> she perfected the fierce gaze. i'll perfect mine in 2016. >> mine is awkward.

>> let's run >> that's your latest forecast. savannah and craig? >> thank you so much. times square is one of the top destinations in the world to ring in the new year. if you can't be there in person, you can count on carson to bring the festivities to you. >> in about a minute, you're going to get the baptism of a brand-new year. another chance to get it right. >> 20 seconds! >> where's my wife? >> feels good. >> four, three, two, one! happy new year! >> very impressive. >> we're singing. >> happy new year, everybody. >> i'm here with my man, carson, taking over.

man b to,oobs. look who is with carson. >> andy cohen. >> i'm taking my shirt off at midnight. >> and your pants, you promised. >> both. >> this is a broadcast network. keep it family. >> right. >> you have a special edition of hollywood game night. >> it's live. >> is that a good idea? >> that's a good question, craig. >> live with celebrities playing games on new year's eve? >> with alcohol, yes, it's a fantastic idea. >> andy doesn't do anything not live. >> it's true. >> i can appreciate that. >> then i can't get in trouble if something goes wrong. it was lifeve. >> we have you on a 15-second delay. >> as always. >> last year, i turned away when the shirt started coming off. >> yes. >> you look like you may have been the only sober person there on the stage. >> i've been doing this almost 20 years in times square, and it's really changed throughout the years. i used to get up and it was a serious broadcasting night, you give the information.

away to really just doing what everybody else at home is doing, and that's having fun. we have andy, great friends that are really funny. we have great music. gwen stefani. more importantly, we have the right crew. we're going to be drinking and looking back on the year. we'll have a party in times square. >> what's your drink of choice? >> makers gingera ale. >> that's mine. >> if you want makers market anything in times square, every bottle, andy collected it. >> who are your celebrities for game night? >> we have a bunch. john stamos, bob saget, whitney cummings. >> bob saget live? i hope you have a delay. >> serious delay, yeah. >> what are the resolutions this year, 2016? >> for me, it's to try and drink and eat a little more. i go the other way.

>> more cardio. work on my friendship with carson. >> it seems like it's solid. >> it's rock solid. >> it's been fast. >> what else can you tell us about tonight? >> what else do you want to know? >> it'll be great. >> game night for an hour, and that's live. it'll be a disaster. let's be honest. >> yeah. then we're walking to you. >> he's like, no, we have to do it live. >> then we're walking over to you. >> they'll come to me. >> a live walk? >> to you. that's the only way to get to you, allegedly. yes, we'll cover the walk with all the roof cams in new york. make your way to me, sit by a fake fire, drink real alcohol and it'll be like donald trump, no. all these witty, cool, funny people will go off. >> folks are already starting to packpee? >> where are you? >> should i have to go at 30 rock before i go?

>> go right now, before you leave. i don't know what's going to happen. >> oh, my gosh. >> don't mix anything. it's more. >> oh, my gosh. >> carson daly, andy cohen, looking forward to tonight. >> thanks, guys. >> happy new year. >> so excited. >> love you guys. >> drink lots of water. >> 10:00/9:00 central with nbc's new year's eve game night with andy cohen. andy walks to carson in times square to bring in 2016. >> you have to get out of here. >> that's true. i'm going on vacation. peace out. >> happy new year's to you. >> right now. >> literally. >> yes, they said to go. >> you have everything? >> yeah, sort of. >> don't forget to take your mike off. >> we're not done yet. coming up, last-minute recipes

watch andy and carson welcome back. it's a thursday morning, the 31st of december, 2015, the last day of the year. we have a huge crowd here on the plaza. getting a jump start on their new year's celebration. hello, folks. some of the folks are probably going to -- >> who is going to see the ball drop tonight? a loud crowd. they have to save the voice to ring in 2016. >> some folks don't care about their folks. good looking crowd. as we mentioned, savannah really did have to leave early. she was going on vacation. >> had to get out of here.

the airport. a procrastinateors guide to throw a party at home. easy things you can do. mindy kaling's project for 2016, read a book. she'll walk you through her favorites. bob harper is here to fill us in on a twist coming to his show, and tips to get the year off to a good start. first, get a check of the weather from dylan. >> times square, it is going to be nice in the northeast. temperatures near 50 degrees today. the great lakes, we have lake-effect snow. across the southeast, we'll see storms, especially through southern georgia. temperatures are cool through the northern plains. tonight at midnight, temperatures still in the '40s in new york city. we're in the teens and 20s through the upper midwest. temperatures only in the upper 20s for areas like seattle. 32 in oregon.

of 2016, little showery along the gulf coast, but the northeast in the 40s. it is a little chilly but sunny ba >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. what's a new year's eve party without kathie lee and hoda, especially when new year's eve is on a thirsty thursday. >> they're kicking off the celebrations on nbc with a toast to 2015.

buzziest stories and events of the year. they invited their celebrity friends to the party. >> 2016, non-resolution, i am not willing to drink less. >> one thing i won't be doing in 2016 is diving further into technology. i'm going to try to keep it simple this year, and just be in the moment. >> i will not be giving up cheese. i know that for certain. >> to not look back at this past year. instead, i look forward to the future. >> nex year, i will not be wearing culottes. >> i won't be getting an iphone. no, i might. i probably will. >> i'm not going to wear culottes. >> i'm not weaning myself off social media and i'm not weaning myself off my phone. >> i will not stop eating chunky peanut butter out of the jar in the middle of the night. >> i will not start dressing like a proper gentleman. >> fantastic. >> it's going to be a fun night. >> what are you not going to be doing next year?

back. i'm going to seize the day. >> i love the energy. >> i enjoyed it so much, i wanted you to say it again. you're passionate about that. >> getting on my case. once again, the two-hour special, a toast to 2015, airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central, on nbc. up next, we're watching up with mindy kaling. she'll reveal her list of must-read books. first, this is "today" on nbc. america is not just electing a president, we're also electing a commander in chief. that choice matters. because strengthening the economy, making healthcare more affordable, raising incomes.

and leading the world. i will get up every single day and do whatever it takes to make sure our country is safe and strong. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. -hey. something new has arrived. and it works in the middle of anywhere.

lets you stay connected where other networks don't. hurry in and get the iphone 6s today, and save $550. the iphone 6s on u.s. cellular. together you can do more. >> announcer: year in review on "today" is brought to you by mercedes-benz mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. back now at 8:36 with help for a new year's resolution that might be on our list. reading more in 2016. actress and author mindy kaling took us to skylight books in los angeles and shared some of her faf rit favorite books with us.

it's called "inside chef's at europe." it has amazing photographs, great recipes, and simple recipe recipes. you also see these beautiful pictures. man, that guy's fridge is awesome. if my fridge looked like this, i would be stoked. look at the fruit. my fridge has never seen fruit. here are two of my favorite books. one is a classic, "bridget jones dairy," which was also one of my favorite movies. >> the greatest book of all time. >> the other is called "the love affairs of nathaniel p. it's realistic and kind of cringe-worthy, in how well detailed it is. i think they actually make a

this is a great book. this is the "best american mystery stories." it was edited by one of my favorite mystery authors. sometimes a big book seems like a big assignment. with these, read one before you go to sleep, then have terrible nightmares and want to read another one the next day. "we should all be feminists," a famous essay sampled in the beyonce song "flawless." >> believes in the social, political and economic equality. >> she's the writer where when she says something, you're like, i wish i said that. that's my opinion instantly. i think a lot of people feel reluctant to say they're feminists which, to me, is a pity. i think if you read this, more people would be like, yeah, i'm a human. i'm a feminist. you wouldn't be scared of the term. huh, "why not be" by mindy kaling.

i don't know. i think it should be in the classic section. i'm going to buy it. "this was this was my favorite book as a kid, "harriett the spy." i, too, kind of look like a little boy with the round face and glasses. it's not a book about her being cute or fashionable or starting a makeup company. it's about her being smart and using her brain, which i love. my dad used to read this book to me when i was growing up, and he'd read one chapter a night. it's the thing i looked forward to the most. thank you. well, i hope you like my picks. i just bought a bag full of more books to read. yeah, that's it. i think they're good. i think you're going to like them. >> nice, i love it. huge thanks to mindy. you should add her latest book "why not me" to your list. >> great book. >> really good.

our website, today.com. we they asked us to come up with our favorite book. i love "organrphan train." it's about two generations of women who were orphans, but completely different decades, but how they come together and finding family and survival. >> how about you? >> i shook it up. the question was the highlight or the books that marked your 2015. here's the deal when you have three kids, these two books we read every single night. i kept it real with you. " "pete the cat" at the end, he says, i have different shoes. do you cry? goodness no. i say to my kids, do you cry? goodness no! >> every pete the kid, i sing the song. i love my white shoes >> absolutely.

ken follett trilogy series. it's the first one happens around world war i. the second is around world war ii. this happens around vietnam era. all of these lives intertwine. it's so good. i did travel with this one. >> yours? >> it's if the the"the world and me." it is absolutely fantastic. beautifully written. >> let's do an exchange. >> dylan, you talk about this on the weekds. it's aetter he wrote to his 15-year-old son in the wake of what we've seen in this country over the past year. the violence we've seen. anyway, it's a fascinating read. >> cheers, guys. >> thank you. >> we should do a book club more often. >> we should. up next, bob harper has the skinny on beginning the new year

first, this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:44. nbc's "the biggest loser" returns monday night. the theme of the season, temptation. there will be new twists to keep the challenges fresh. >> we've changed the house. >> whoa. >> we've changed that gym. >> oh. >> we've even changed me. >> really? >> because this season, i'm not just training you, i'm your new host. >> yay! >> the crowd goes wild. bob harper is here with us on this new year's eve. >> they were excited. >> you've been with the show from the beginning. from training and, as you mentioned, the host. how has it been? >> really exciting this year. i have been on the show since season one.

really wanted to bring my passion, my flavor into this show, and it was a lot of work and a lot of fun. >> temptation is the theme this year. >> that's right. we are facing every single temptation you would face in the real world. money, food, luxury, time restraints, which i'm sure you know. you have a busy schedule. >> how do you respond to one of the criticisms of the show, that it is too extreme? >> i would just say that our show is meant to wake you up and to inspire you. of course, it's extreme. we're doing a reality show. but what i have found is that people get something from our audience, from our contestants, and that's what we want. we want you to be inspired. get up off the sofa and move around a little bit. >> you are not a fan of folks who make the new year's resolutions to lose weight. >> i hate new year's resolutions because no one ever -- it never lasts.

it's like, they're going, it's january 1st, i'm going to change everything. i'll go to the gym every day. the gyms will be packed. after a couple weeks, all those people will go back to their old ways. i want you to focus on 30 days. don't think -- >> not 365? >> give me 30 days. >> 30 days of what? >> i would say, cut out all sugary drinks. that means when you go to the soft fee coffee shops, don't get the frozen mocha lattes, whatever they are, energy drinks, stay away from sugary drinks. >> for 30 days. what else? >> i think what's going to happen is you'll feel better because you have all the crap out of your body. and you're going to be more likely to sustain that because you're going to reap the benefits. >> what about exercise? >> i'm a big cross fitter. i do it all the time. >> i know. >> i recommend it all the time. i tell people, for this month, find some sort of exercise

cross fit, soul cycle, whatever the case may be, three times a week. >> group exercise? >> it brings you with like minded people. it's like, you're more likely to keep going with it because you're going to make friends, you're going to be with people doing the same thing. misery loves company. >> one of the things i found is it helps with the accountability, when you have somebody on the bike next to you, where were you today? i didn't see you. >> exactly. that's a good benefit. >> and you also say folks should consider changing their diet, as well. >> always. when it comes to changing your body, it's all about diet. >> what should we be doing? >> i want people to eat more vegetables. in the 30 days, why don't you make sure that for six days a week, you incorporate some sort of vegetable to every meal you're eating? you're going to fill up on good, fibrous foods. you'll feel better, and i mean, it's naturally going to be low in calories. no one is going to get fat eating broccoli.

biggest mistake folks make when they make the new year's resolutions. >> they try to change too many things. they set themselves up for failure. give yourself a break. find one thing to focus on the month of january. stick with it. it's 30 days out of your life. you're going to feel so much better. >> bob harper, good to see you. >> you, too. >> the season premiere of "the biggest loser," next monday, 9:00/8:00 central. if you're planning to have folks over tonight, some tips.

nbc. back at 8:50. you don't have to hit the town tonight to have a good time. last-minute ideas to add sparkle to your stay at home celebration. i love what you've done. happy new year already. >> happy new year. >> we have the countdown clocks going throughout here. that's the theme. >> we'll have a drop the ball party at home. >> perfect. >> wonderful ideas if you are staying home with family and friends. >> that's what i'm doing tonight. this is perfect timing. >> so am i. >> i love this. this is the flower centerpiece at your table, but also the ball theme. >> exactly. all this is is a floral foam sphere. burgundy carnations, the grocery

easy and anyone can don't. it adds a wow packfactor to the party. >> fantastic statement. >> the cocktails, i love to serve a signature drink to the adults who come over. tonight, we're having clock tails. >> i like that. >> it's fun. i'll show you how i made it. you have a number here, and all this is is a sticker. decals. stickers from a craft store. >> peel them off. >> you peel it off. i'm going to do the 7, and you do the 3. we'll see how easy this is. >> right. >> they're stickers. you stick them on the champagne glass. >> meanwhile, you have on the tray -- mine is crooked. >> it's good. it's a great way for guests to know what drink is theirs the entire evening. >> you have the clock configuration. i love it. fantastic. >> and a great dessert to bring, this is wonderful. we've done clock cakes. you can pick up a store bought

craft store numbers imitating the clock. if you want, you can do the ice k number -- icing numbers yourself. >> even i can do that. >> we can't forget about champagne. do it yourself. so easy. i used a craft glue, modje-pod modje-podge. >> you can use the bloom of your choice. also a hostess gift if you're going somewhere, glitter it, go to the party with it. it'll be a hit. >> perfect. >> look at these cup cakes. they're amazing. i'll take some home. >> we can send them home with you. >> how do we do this? >> we can't forget about the kids. it's great to give your kids an activity. white cupcakes. this is edible silver glitter. you sprinkle it on.

wrapper. it was the key to the sparkle. an oreo truffle ball. >> to create the ball dropping look there. >> it imitates the ball. we'll paint this on, all edible. >> you can find this glittery paint. >> in the craft store. pick it up for the evening. then we'll put the lollipop stick in here and pop it on the cupcake. >> kids love oreo. so festive. hors d'oeuvres, appetizers. this is adorable. tuxedo cheese slices. >> if you don't want to dress up, you can dress up your cheese and crackers for the season. >> right. >> so you take a round cracker, any thinly sliced cheese. for the buttons and the bow tie, black olive. easy. go ahead if you want to help me,

>> you're assuming i'm crafty. >> you can tie the bow tie. three olive buttons. >> very cute. great. >> now he's all dressed up. >> last but not least, you have to leave our guests, dylan, craig and sheinelle, favors. >> the black-eyed peas for good luck. >> i love sending guests home with black-eyed peace. also a great opportunity for leftover holiday ribbon. we can all use a little good luck in the new year. a great parting gift. >> great idea. >> happy new year. >> cheers. >> happy new year. >> great job. >> thank you. >> by the way, the rescipes and ideas are on our website, today.com/food.

we're not sure this morning on today's

we'll look back at 2015. plus the most buzzed about ads of the year. the commercials that had everyone talking and clicking. and some cocktail hacks and downloadable apps that will have you ringing in 2016 in style. coming up now.ng up from nbc news,his is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> sing it, dylan! >> this is the sing that will keep me awake until midnight. party across the entire world. >> everywhere. >> ring in 2016. australia, right? >> already rang it in about an hour ago. that's right. welcome to "today." it's girl's hour on this thursday morning. >> yes, it is. >> woo! happy new year's. >> what's with the mug? switch over to caffeine. >> we demand champagne glasses

>> time for champagne. >> let's start right now. why not? >> it's going to be a long day. might as well ring it in now. welcome, i'm natalie along with dylan, willie, tamron and al, enjoying -- willie and tamron enjoying time off. al getting ready for the rose bowl parade tomorrow. >> is this his 19th time? it's incredible. >> i know. >> he's an amazing man. anyway, beautiful tradition. we will be watching al tomorrow morning, if i can pry my eyes open. >> that's not going to happen if you start drinking champagne now. >> that's right. come on. recount. we demand champagne. obviously, one of the big stories everybody is talking about this morning, and i think we were talking about a little earlier, somewhat surreal that it's finally come to this. but bill cosby has been charged now -- criminally charged. he walked into a courtroom yesterday to face a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. he was set free on $1 million bail.

his accuser is a temple university employee, andrea constant from 2004 at cosby's pennsylvania home. she says she agreed to take pills and drink wine but then felt frozen and paralyzed as cosby allegedly performed sexual acts against her wishes. so there are no criminal charges at that time. she did file a civil suit back in 2005. it was later settled a year later. earlier, we had cosby's attorney on, one of his attorneys on, monique pressley, and she spoke to savannah. take a listen. >> a lot of people will say, if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously there is a difference between a civil case and a criminal case. but a person just watching at home thinks if you think someone is lying, why do you pay them money? why do you settle? >> you know, i don't really think that that's what people at home think. i think that the people at home are much more savvy than that, and they have to deal with situations in their own lives, where they have people who are

threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career, decades of whatever it is they have done in their own capacities. and they know there are times that it's wise to settle claims rather than fight them, especially if it's something where you believe that everything that you're working for will be lost. so this may have been one of those times. >> obviously a big story in 2015, and it's going to continue to be in 2016. 14th. if he is found guilty, he could face up to ten years behind bars, and in a statement to nbc news, cosby's attorneys also said they intended to mount, as you heard, a vigorous defense against what they call unjustified charge, and they expect cosby will be exonerated by a court of law. >> you talk about how surreal it is. i think for our generation, it's hard for us to remove what we know, as -- >> dr. huxtable.

for so many years, for so long. and then to see this story play out, and -- it's hard to remove the view you had of him, and hear all the stories that are coming out and to see him trip when he walked out of the car. >> i think a lot of people felt that, as you said, when you saw him sort of trip and stumble. and you wanted to feel compassion. obviouy, he's innocent until proven guilty. but, you know, i think everybody -- i think at that moment felt somewhat sad. >> right. for the whole story. we feel sad for the alleged victims as well. so we'll see what happens. it's going to be an ongoing story in the new year, for sure. >> that's for sure. on a lighter note. >> the fun stuff. >> commercials. >> i love this. i love commercials. i think i was one of those frustrated -- if i could have been an ad executive in a previous life, i probably would. "mad men." so many things. >> there are so many commercials you actually like seeing.

earlier today, gave us some of her favorites, the favorites across the board. natalie, you love the amazon commercials. >> i did. i love this whole idea of amazon prime, obviously delivering right away. but they have this lonely horse commercial. take a look. adorable. little man when you stand by my side >> i love it. that's sonny and cher, by the way. and then the horse is lonely. so what do you do? you go on amazon prime and you order a little companion miniature horse. >> the horse looks a lot smaller outside in the field than in her living room. >> it's great. i love that commercial. >> and actually -- it's right on. amazon prime, you can pretty much find anything on amazon and it comes to you the next day. >> and it's right there. >> i love, you know -- there are so many ads online now that you

five seconds before you can -- but geico's genius advertising department came up with the unskippable ad. take a look. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad, because it's already over. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. on car >> skip it. you don't want to look away. >> you watch the dog eat the whole plate of mashed potatoes. and then i was watching to see, like, who would twitch or if the kids would get out of character. >> and they don't. >> i would be cracking up. i don't know how they -- >> slopping up. >> it goes on for three minutes. i've actually watched the whole thing a couple of times because you can't skip it. >> genius. and then we also loved google android's "friends forever." take a look. robin hood and little john walking through the forest >> cute animals.

>> what could go wrong? adorable. i love it. i don't know what it's for, but i love it. google. >> i believe it's google android. but there are so many things that people send you or you see on facebook or new hot video, and they all happen to be associated with baby animals. so -- >> if they're baby animals -- exactly, i'm watching. i'm in. a lot of people are playing -- have you played this emoji game? >> i have, and i realize -- >> predict your new year. >> i used all my emojis wrong. >> i'm not an emoji person, so i'm surprised what came up. there are some there that i swear i never used. >> you take your top 12 most-used emojis and you'll match them to all the months in 2016. it's supposed to predict how your year will go. >> okay. >> yours -- you were skeptical. but yours is very -- >> very skeptical. okay. so here we go. january --

>> i don't know what's happening there. sassy. >> i don't know if you're camping in february. >> no, that's a purse. i have never in my life used a purse emoji. but i am looking for a new purse. maybe i'll get it in february. >> march is just weird, because you -- >> march i'm mixed up. >> but can we take a look at august? >> uh-huh. >> what happens in august? >> well, obviously, we've got the olympics in rio. so the brazilian flag. so that kind of is true. i think i was doing it -- i'm half brazilian so i use that emoji a lot. >> a little eerie. >> it is. what about yours? >> my first january is going to start off not so good. i didn't know that was a crying emoji. i thought it was i'm laughing so hard -- >> it is. laughing so hard -- laughing so hard you're crying. >> exactly. i'm being told it's like you're devastated crying. >> really? okay. >> so i don't even know what october is. swimming in december? i don't -- i don't know. i still use a colon and closed

>> here's the thing. there's no science to that whatsoever. just another bogus thing. >> fun, though. >> have fun with it. >> it's fun to do. >> all right. you're going to do the weather too. double duty. >> i'm just trying -- to squeeze in. >> everywhere. you're everywhere. >> they're letting me do it all on the last day of the year. we are still focusing on some of the flooding that's going on through missouri and eventually the focus shifts to arkansas. it takes a while for all of the rain we saw the past couple of days to filter through the smaller streams and make its way to the mississippi. we are going to see more of a flooding threat near arkansas as we go through the weekend. there are now 43 locations with major flooding, and this is going to be an issue for a while, because not only do you hit the crest, but then you have recede. down in the southeast, falling rain creating flooding problems. moisture streaming in off the gulf of mexico, could see some flooding because of the heavier downpours and that could lead to flash flooding, and that will continue to shift down into northern florida as we go into

that's and that's your latest forecast. >> all right, dylan, thank you. coming up, we're going to take a look back at the year that was. all the news makers and celebrities that defined 2015, after these messages. >> made it through the whole year. hey sweetie, it's time. eye of the tiger >> champagne! tv anncr: good afternoon everyone.

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here to help us reflect on the year that was, joe levi, "rolling stone" and host of incoming on spotify. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start with bill cosby. >> we were just talking -- you were just talking about it moments ago. here is the story we were talking about this time last year. we're talking about it today. he's free on bail. charged in second degree assault. in a pennsylvania courtroom. this is a story we'll probably be talking about this time next year, as well. >> absolutely. all right. >> and such a sad year with all the shootings and the gun violence. >> unfortunately, we had far too many shootings to talk about. far, far too many. in charleston, south carolina, nine killed in a church. on live tv in virginia, a killed. just -- recently. >> san bernardino, of course. colorado springs, three killed there. the paris attacks, as well, both in january and then recently just this month. >> sadly, it seems it's not

>> no. >> moving over now to -- actually, a symbol of peace. the pope's first visit to the united states. >> the pope's first visit to the united states. he stopped in washington, d.c., where he described himself as the son of immigrants. he was here in new york, celebrated mass at madison square garden and then on to philadelphia where he talked about america as a land of religious tolerance and freedom. that's great. >> that was a moment we needed. >> absolutely. uplifting moment in our news. >> so a lot of politics. a shy man by the name of donald trump took some headlines. >> i'm unfamiliar with who you mean. he did indeed take headlines. remember, he announced his candidacy descending on an escalator. we didn't take it seriously, waited for it to end. still ahead in the polls. a recent cnn poll of republicans puts him ahead of it ted cruz, 39% to 18% for cruz. we'll see what happens in february when we finally get to iowa and new hampshire. >> who could have predicted this

>> donald trump. i think is probably the only one. it's going to be fabulous. >> huge. also, hillary clinton. looking pretty good as she is putting her husband, former president bill clinton to work on the campaign trail. will head out and do a couple events in the new year. >> that's right. and guess who had something to say about that. donald trump! >> of course. >> hillary has said recently that donald trump has a penchant for sexism, he insulted hillary and donald trump has -- i'm rubber, you're glue kind of philosophy. he's turned that around and saying, well, you're married to bill clinton. i'm not quite sure what it all means, but let's look for this to heat up in 2016. >> even more. so absolutely. now on to pop culture. >> lighter moments. >> this is a huge year for girls. >> we love that. >> and women, i guess. we should call them women. >> let's call them women. let's call them women. let's call them powerful women on television, in the movies, in music.

alexander on the breakout hit "blind spot." melissa benoise on super girl. "empire." and, of course, amy schumer jumped from the small screen to the big screen on "train wreck" and an unknown singer named adele made an impression this year selling breaking records, shattering records. it took her three days to have the biggest-selling record in 2015. that's amazing. >> and it's going to be her year in 2016 with her concerts, as well. >> one of the hottest tickets out there. and -- >> finally -- >> a little movie called "star wars." >> i've already seen it twice. i'm ready to go back a third time. i'm obsessed with it. >> well, you're part of the reason it became the fastest movie to earn $1 billion at the box office in just 12 days. everyone loves this movie. >> and it's girl power, too. >> it is. >> girl power story. >> love her. >> everyone in this movie except george lucas. >> really? you're kidding me.

"star wars" as more of a family soap opera and disney made it into a movie about space ships. i like space ships. >> i thought it was awesome. and quickly, we have to mention caitlyn jenner. >> of course, a big year for caitlyn generaljenner on "vanity fair," a break through moment. at the espys said a few months ago i had never met a transperson and was giving the opportunity to a lot of america. it was wonderful and maying. >> and a fascinating 2015. we'll see what 2016 looks like. >> all right. it's going to be a good one. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up next, what to download so you can have an appy new year. get it?> first, these huh. introducing centrum vitamints. a brand new multivitamin you enjoy like a mint. with a full spectrum of essential nutrients...

i see you found the vitamints. new centrum vitamints. a delicious new way to get your multivitamins. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! i'm jerry bell the second. and i'm jerry bell the third.

this little guy is non-stop. he's always hanging out with his friends. you've got to be prepared to sit at the edge of your seat and be ready to get up. there's no "deep couch sitting." definitely not good for my back. this is the part i really don't like right here. (doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii] deep couch sitting! to the woman in the mid-90's showstopper... you're right. it's time to set this bird free. hot blooded, check it and see... got a fever of 103... feelin' hungry? how 'bout a donut? i'm hot blooded..i'm hot blooded! whether it's 30-years old or 30-days old, carmax will appraise it in as little as 30 minutes. and then your only concern will be how to spend the cash.

with 2016 just hours away, we're all thinking hard about the changes that we want to make in the new year and whether it's getting in shape, saving money, learning how to decress, allstress, all

>> we've called in the founder of cool moms tech to narrow down the list and have an appy new year. good morning. >> hi, guys. appy new year. >> we'll use that as much as we can. >> we'll say it over and over again. >> so many people's resolution is to stay fit, be healthier. there is an app for that. >> unless you're bob harper. what does he have on his list? >> right. >> i love lark. the free app for ios and android. what's different about it, it acts like your friend. the virtual companion. you can talk to it. >> it's texting you? >> gives you support. i walked here to the stud oweio and it's saying, good job. it uses the sensors. look how much sleep i got. ten hours. how is that possible? >> amazing. >> all my activity. >> how does it monitor your sleep? >> when you put the phone down, it's assuming you're sleeping or binge watching netflix.

not nitty getty with the calorie counting. >> finance, i need this app. who doesn't love to save more, spend less? >> we've done a lot of mother apps but what's different about level money is it taps into your spending. when you safely sync about your bank account, it's going to show you exactly what you've been spending your money on. i'm an amazon fan. if you've been spending hundreds of dollars on coffee every month, you might not have known that. it'll show you. it taps into all of your bank account and your bills and gives you a spendable amount. it's kind of like a goal that you want to stay under, whether it's daily, monthly or weekly. >> level money. download it now. >> one of my biggest problems is my e-mail. i have signed up for so many e-mails, it's like 20% off here, 30% off here. it fills up and i lose track of the good e-mails.

i need unroll.me. it's been around a while, but they just launched their iop app. it is fantastic. so you sync your e-mail. i use our pod cast, and it brings up our news and e-mail subscriptions. it lets you swipe left to unsubscribe unsubscribe. >> i love it. >> kind of like a dating app for e-mail. >> amazing. >> breaking up with you, bloomingdales. >> it lets you roll up, the button in the middle, gives you a daily digest of everything you want to keep. >> great. >> we have time for one more? nope, we don't. >> real quick. it helps you destress. >> it's a medication app, stop, breathe, think. it gives you custom meditations based on how you're feeling. >> amazing. thank you so much. >> happy new year. coming up, automated voice: to file a claim, please state your name. carnie wilson. thank you. can you hold on? hold on for one more day really?

why do you lock yourself up in these chains? this would be so easy if you had progressive. our mobile app would let you file a claim and help you find one of our service centers where we manage the entire repair process. things will go your way if you hold on. [ sighs ] someday somebody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye. say goodbye no, you just made it weird. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside. talk about delicious. after trying brookside crunchy clusters, @carlybeyar tweeted: at this point, i should just be a brookside chocolate ambassador. well, i am sorry, carly... it's something you earn.

talk ayou won't see as many officers tonight in one of des moines' busiest places. police say they've run out of funding for extra enforcement along court avenue. the funds come from "operation downtown," a group dedicated to

the city safe. the warm weather sticking around longer this year caused it to exhaust its resources. just last month, a shooting killed one and injured another in the area. but many say they expect a safe new year's eve. pasadena is a hot spot for hawkeye fans... just take a look... the "hawkeye huddle" was the place to be yesterday afternoon. up to 15 thousand iowa fans packed the "los angeles convention center." and the players are taking notice... they say it means a lot to have so many supporters. kirk ferentz has won what some call "college football's most coveted coaching award." the iowa head coach was named the recipient of the 20-15 dodd trophy yesterday. it goes to coaches whose program embodies high standards on and off the field. stanford coach david shaw says he couldn't agree more with the selection.. the rosebowl airs tomorrow at

taking a look at the headlines.

yet for 2016, but the irs is already thinking about next year's tax returns. the 2016 tax season will kick off on january 19th when the irs will start accepting individual returns. it expects more than four out of five taxpayers to e file their returns. the deadline for most americans is april 18th. microsoft says it will warn customers if it suspectses a government is trying to hack into their accounts. the policy change came after two employees concluded china had been behind a hacking campaign a few years ago, and said the company decided not to tell more were hacked. it follows similar recent moves by facebook, twitter and yahoo. at&t plans to stop offering two-year contracts early in the new year. starting january 8th, at&t customers will only be able it to get new phones by paying the full price or paying in monthly installments.

wireless contracts a few months ago. if you are counting calories while you celebrate tonight, why would you do that? be mindful about what you eat and drink. experts say it would take 35 minutes of racquetball to burn off the calories in one margarita. drink it anyway. and nonalcoholic drinks can put on the pounds too. it would take 45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise to burn off a medium peppermint mocha. we still have several hours to go before we ring in the new year here in the u.s. but in other parts of the world, the celebrations are under way already. take a look. this is a scene in automatic land, new zealand, one of the first countries to usher in the new year. and in australia, the party started early. a special fireworks display held at sydney harbor at 9:00 p.m. local time, aimed at families who couldn't stay autopsy up. and a second show at midnight. beautiful display as always.

for a check of the tonight is the big night. but if you dropped the ball on planning your new year's eve party, no need to panic. justin chapel, host of mad genius tips is back to pop the cork on a night of fun. justin? welcome back. >> fun indeed. thanks for having me. >> i love this idea, first of all. beautiful cotton candy, champagne that i'm already -- >> two amazing things. we're going to combine them into

it's going to be a champagne cocktail. what you're going to do is take some of that cotton candy and lay it right in the glass. stuff it right in. >> okay. >> a little more. >> all the way. >> there you go. and then we're going to pour some champagne right on top. >> this is going to dissolve. >> it dissolves. >> i feel like you want to pour that in front of people. >> it's a magic trick indeed. and is you can garnish the glass and it adds this beautiful pink hue. >> cheers. >> we have been waiting all day. >> you can also pretend you're serving rosettes, because it changes in color. >> adds sweetness too. >> and next we have a neat way of shaking a cocktail. because a lot of people don't have shakers. so you just add your little booze in here, some lemon juice. we're making a side car. and some ice, of course. and then you pop the top on, make sure it's nice and tight. >> so any sort of portable bottle would work. >> yeah. anything with a lid that has a nice, tight seal.

because then it has the sound. >> check it out. clearly not enough booze in here for me, but -- >> we'll work on that. >> exactly. >> this is a fantastic idea. >> of course. you were telling me you're making sangria. >> and you're going to show us how. a lot of people think sangria is a summer drink, but winter as well. you're going to freeze the fruit? >> yeah. we're doing a winter one. and the reason we're able to do that, citrus is so abundant in the winter. put it on a baking sheet, freeze until nice and firm. and then we're using rose. and you're going to add your brandy and mixed citrus juice. grapefruit juice, tangerine, lime juice. add it in. simple syrup. the best thing is you see all this frozen fruit here is going to keep nice and cool. all throughout the night. and it even works as a beautiful garnish. >> ooh. love that. >> keeping with the whole frozen garnish theme, for a martini, so

long time to drink a good martini. >> it does. it's a zipper. >> you freeze. so you freeze the garnishes. >> exactly. so you skewer them, you can do olives, onions, both. just like there. pop them on a plate in the freezer until frozen, just like the fruit. and then check these beautiful -- >> great. frozen cocktails. >> i could bite into all of them and lose a tooth. >> fantastic. >> we'll keep them cold. justin, thank you so much. happy new year to you. and before -- sorry. >> coming up next -- >> the champagne. >> go for it. of. >> here are the befores and the afters when we reveal the transformation of three "today" show viewers who spent the last 16 weeks reshaping their bodies for 2016. keep drinking, dylan. after these messages. my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis made a simple trip to the grocery store anything but simple. so finally, i had an important conversation

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followed three "today" show viewers on their journey to fitness to 2016. today. they're going to ring in a happier, healthier new year, joy bauer. >> good morning. dream team. >> get ready. you won't believe it. >> transformation is amazing. let's start off with mary jean. 16 weeks ago, 196.5 pounds, starting weight. that was her before picture. mary jean is now down to 159.5 pounds. a total loss of 37 pounds. mary jean, come on out, girl! [ applause ] >> incredible. >> wow. >> look at that waist, right? by the way -- >> look at that dress. >> -- she's lost 20 inches from head to toe. >> walk the carpet, mary jean. >> look at your waist.

>> next up, we have rochelle who, in the beginning of this whole thing, weighed in at 173 pounds. just 16 weeks ago. now, she's down to 143 pounds. total loss of 30 pounds. rochelle -- >> incredible. >> -- come on out! >> 16 weeks. >> wow! [ applause ] >> oh, my goodness. >> by the way, rochelle also has lost 22 inches from head to toe off her body. >> look at you. >> look at the muscles. >> wow. >> finally, ken started out at 221 pounds in the beginning of the journey. now, weighs in at 189.5 pounds. he lost a total of 31.5 pounds. ken, let's see how you're looking. come on out. [ applause ] >> look at that. >> handsome. he has trimmed 28 inches off of his entire body. >> oh, my gosh. >> high-five! >> whole new suit for you. >> unbelievable. >> by the way, you hear a lot of

their families are here. big support system. >> wow. >> clearly, it comes to good coaching, as well. joy, what was the secret to this incredible success? >> i think, first off, they were psychologically ready. 50% of it is really a can-do attitude, and they had that. secondly, you all trusted me. i told you what to do, and you followed through. i think that you can validate to everybody that you don't have to exercise five hours a day. they were eating delicious food but learned how to prepare it in better for you ways. they were sneaking in exercise when they could. they lost significant amounts of weight and dramatically enhanced their health. i'm so proud of you. >> mary jean, you seem emotional. >> i am. >> it's been an emotional journey. long and hard, but so rewarding for you, right? >> very rewarding. i'm thrilled. i can't believe that it's here, today is here, and that we've all been so successful. >> yeah.

>> definitely. >> good health. >> more to go. >> what were some of the challenges that -- are you surprised you passed through them and have gotten to this point? >> i think the important thing for me was, and i mentioned this to joy, we all think we know what we know, and i confessed i didn't know anything. the moment i completely trusted joy, this happened. >> amazing. >> joy! making us all cry. >> ken, what was it for you that worked, and what do you think would help viewers at home, struggling with their weight, too? >> for me, it was consistency. finding a routine, sticking to it, day in and day out. resolving to do this. i was ready to make the change. >> consistent. >> all your families. >> 2016, what better time to inspire people? everybody watching can do this. >> with all the weight you guys have lost, the "today" show promised to donate food to families in need, and we are now going to donate more than 17,000 meals. >> because of you.

>> to feeding america. [ applause ] >> whew! >> a little warning would be nice, guys. >> well done. >> happy new year! >> congratulations. happy new year. >> you all look amazing. i have to give you all hugs. >> final look back at the fun we had, including with these guys. >> wonderful. >> you did it! >> thank you, joy. [ applause ] i don't have like a pair of jeans i'm trying to get into; i've been down that road honey child. and i don't have like a dress or some big red carpet thing i have to do. im really just looking at 2016, as the year of my best body; that's what i want for you too.

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new year's eve is a sober time to reflect on what it is we hope to accomplish. our goals, aspirations, dreams for the future. >> it can be sober. or to look back at a bunch of the ridiculous things you did this past year. i had a great time in 2015 with al, tamron, willie and, of course, dylan. she filled in often. here's a look at some of the laughs we shared. >> driving! >> birthday. >> this is a trump wig. >> wow. >> i felt it. hold on. >> we made it. looks like we've made it >> there was a lot of fun. >> chaos. sweet, wonderful chaos. >> uncertainty was the buzzword. >> oh, no! >> every day, something epic happened. holy moly. >> i have my two sisters. tamron and natalie.

>> this year, we got our groove on. where do we begin? >> tamron likes to think that she's a good dancer. >> we call this the choo choo train. >> as does natalie. willie and i both know we're not good dancers, and we don't pretend to be. >> we love to dance. >> you have to be willing to laugh at yourself, make fun of yourself. >> she's good at the salsa. then this other dancing comes out, and you're like, what is going on there? >> fudge brownies. >> wow me week with three cool haled the gas. >> yeah! >> my voice drops down sub james earl jones' darth vader. >> that is unbelievable. >> it was as though i were out of my own body. if you watch the clip, i generally scare myself.

>> how's the weather? >> i want to you imagine and believe it's possible to take the dents out of the can. >> tap on it. it's resealed. >> no way. >> oh, come on! amazing. >> that is crazy. >> i'm a sucker for a magic trick. clearly, the viewers saw it that way. >> i swam with sharks. sort of. from behind a wall. they swam and i watched. >> the rokerthon this year was daunting. 50 states in a week's time. it was as exhausting as it was exhilarating. every place we went -- >> i got the goat! >> -- people had goats. like, really? >> got a little chill in the air. only one thing to do, and that is have an ice dancing competition. >> how does that happen? >> whoa! baby! >> you're mean. >> there you go. >> for the first time in my

>> willie goes urban. >> we did a little audition for john cena, what it takes to be a wwe star. >> looking at the headlines, you're all about to be in a world of pain, because dark natalie is coming for you. >> i was born to brawl, i'm the belle of the ball, i got the guts. >> the forecast for today, pain. i feel a cold front coming in from the east. >> i'll take it, drive it to the canvas, get on the top for the splashdown to finish it. >> i can't get down. help me. >> i'm sorry you had to see this. >> spinning image. >> we were scary. >> wow. >> the feet. >> wawa wawa. >> i love my life! >> the "today" show has evolved. you can't do the same show we do from 7:00 to 9:00. at 9:00, it's a more conversational program. put my weather to the test. good times.

>> what usually happens at the end of an hour is you get something delicious. >> willie, get this. >> they win, they got it! >> and something that's hopefully fun, hopefully you'll learn a little something. >> the majority of our job is to report the news. if we can smile and laugh together, it means a lot. >> the one person -- >> oh! >> i'm waving our "today's take" flag. >> what i've learned, as i think our team dunk crew, is we're better when we work together as a team. the "take" team. >> and that's just 2015. >> wait until next year. >> wait until 2016. it's going to be huge. back in a moment.

cordes: most nurses are tough. they're problem-solvers. they like making things better. people don't have access to healthcare because they just can't afford it. bernie sanders understands how pharmaceutical companies and major medical companies are ripping us off. bernie tells the truth, and he's been consistent. he understands that the system is rigged, and he's the only one who can bring real change. i'm bernie sanders, and i approve this message.

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we want to ring in the new year with traditions. did you bring pickled edd herring? >> on january 1st, you have to have it. >> why? >> it's disgusting. you are allowed to hold your nose and swallow. >> what kind of friend are you? >> it's supposed to bring good luck. disgusting. >> awful. >> drink. drink. >> that was awful.

that's what i dotroopers will be out in full force along iowa's roads for the holiday. they'll be watching for those not wearing seat belts, distracted drivers, and drunk drivers. in fact, troopers say one hundred people die each year from crashes involving drunk drivers. they're reminding people to either take a cab or have a designated driver if

days after the paris attacks, senators came together for a top-secret briefing on the terrorist threat... marco rubio was missing - fundraising in california instead. two weeks later, terrorists struck again in san bernardino... and where was marco? fundraising again in new orleans. over the last 3 years, rubio has missed important national security hearings and missed more total votes than any other senator. politics first: that's the rubio way. right to rise usa